Zaynab bint Jahsh

Zaynab bint Jahsh (Arabic: زينب بنت جحش‎) (c. 590 â€" 641) was a cousin and wife of Muhammad and therefore a Mother of the Believers.

Early life

Zaynab's father was Jahsh ibn Riyab, an immigrant from the Asad ibn Khuzayma tribe who had settled in Mecca under the protection of the Umayya clan. Her mother was Umama bint Abdulmuttalib, a member of the Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe and a sister of Muhammad's father. Hence Zaynab and her five siblings were the first cousins of Muhammad.

The name of her first husband is not known, but he had died by 622. At that time Zaynab, who had become a Muslim, was among those who accompanied her brother Abdullah on the Hijra to Medina.

Second marriage

Around 625 Muhammad proposed to Zaynab that she marry his adopted son, Zayd ibn Harithah. Zayd had been born into the Kalb tribe but as a child he had been kidnapped by slave-traders. He had been sold to a nephew of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, who in her turn had given him as a wedding present to her husband Muhammad. After some years, Muhammad had manumitted Zayd and had adopted him as his son.

Zaynab, supported by her brother Abdullah, at first refused the proposal on the grounds that, "I am the widow of a Quraysh." They presumably meant that Zaynab's social status was too high to allow her to marry an ex-slave. Ibn Kathir asserts that these social differences were precisely the reason why Muhammad wanted to arrange the marriage:

"The Prophet was well aware that it is a person’s standing in the eyes of Allah that is important, rather than his or her status in the eyes of the people ... their marriage would demonstrate that it was not who their ancestors were, but rather their standing in the sight of Allah, that mattered."

It has also been suggested that he wanted to establish the legitimacy and right to equal treatment of the adopted. By contrast, Montgomery Watt points out that Zayd was high in Muhammad's esteem.

"She can hardly have thought that he was not good enough. She was an ambitious woman, however, and may already have hoped to marry Muhammad; or she may have wanted to marry someone with whom Muhammad did not want his family to be so closely allied."

When Muhammad announced a new verse of the Qur'an 33:36, Zaynab acquiesced and married Zayd.

The marriage lasted less than two years. There was conflict between the couple, and eventually Zaynab shut Zayd out of the bedroom. He divorced her in December 626.

This however, happened after a curious visit by Muhammad to his adopted son Zayd's house. One day, while Zayd was away, Muhammad came to visit. Later when Muhammad leave, he uttered "Praise to Allah who has the ability to change heart". Zaynab was delighted and she told Zayd of Muhammad's visit. Zayd went to meet up with his adopted father, Muhammad and asked if he would like him to divorce Zaynab so that Muhammad can have her. Muhammad said "Continue your relationship with your wife and keep praying to Allah". Yet, what was in Muhammad's heart is very different from what he uttered as he really wanted Zaynab then. This is as recorded by Al-Zamkhashri "Muhammad's outer appearance is different from what is inside him". In summary, although it seemed that Muhammad did not want Zayd, his adopted son to divorce Zaynab, his internal desire is opposite as Muhammad has fallen in love with Zaynab after seeing her.

As soon as Zayd divorced Zaynab, Muhammad went into Zaynab's house when she was not prepared & was without the Muslim veil. Zaynab thus asked Muhammad "Is it going to be like this, without any witnesses or trustee (wali) for our union?" Muhammad answered Zaynab "Allah is the witness and Gabriel is the trustee". As a result of this claim, Zaynab proclaimed herself in a higher status compared to Muhammad's other wives. Zaynab told the other wives "Your father gave you out in this marriage yet for me, it was heaven that gave me to the Allah's prophet".

Marriage to Muhammad

Muhammad expected criticism if he married Zaynab. Pre-Islamic custom disapproved of marriage between a man and his son's former wife. Arab society would have viewed this union as profoundly wrong; because they considered an adopted son was truly a "son", for a man to marry his adopted son's wife - even if she was divorced - was considered incestuous. Therefore he "hid in his heart" the idea that he might marry her. This internal conflict is mentioned in the Qur'an 33:37:

Behold! Thou didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour: "Retain thou (in wedlock) thy wife, and fear Allah." But thou didst hide in thy heart that which Allah was about to make manifest: thou didst fear the people, but it is more fitting that thou shouldst fear Allah. Then when Zaid had dissolved (his marriage) with her, with the necessary (formality), We joined her in marriage to thee: in order that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the Believers in (the matter of) marriage with the wives of their adopted sons, when the latter have dissolved with the necessary (formality) (their marriage) with them. And Allah's command must be fulfilled.

After this verse was revealed, Muhammad proceeded to reject the existing Arabian norms. He married Zaynab as soon as her waiting-period from her divorce was complete, on 27 March 627. Thereafter the legal status of adoption was not recognised under Islam. Zayd reverted to being known by his original name of "Zayd ibn Harithah" instead of "Zayd ibn Muhammad".

Orientalists and Christian missionaries have pointed to this Sura as an example of a self-serving revelation that reflected the Prophet's desires rather than the will of God.

Death

Zaynab died during the caliphate of Umar bin Khattab in the summer of 641, being the first of Muhammad's widows to die after him. She was 53 (lunar) years old.

See also

• Zaynab (name)
• Jahsh (name)

References